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Physicians and the Ontario Human Rights Code
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Date Posted on this Site
September 12, 2008
Published Content
This letter was written after the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons released a draft policy that would restrict doctors from acting according to their consciences and religious beliefs.
My Response Letter
Dear Andréa Foti:
I am greatly dismayed to learn of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario's draft policy, "Physicians and the Ontario Human Rights Code".
The document proposes unacceptable policies for people of faith, notably that
"Within the Code, there is no defence for refusing to provide a service on the basis of one of the prohibited grounds. This means that a physician who refuses to provide a service or refuses to accept a patient on the basis of a prohibited ground such as sex or sexual orientation may be acting contrary to the Code, even if the refusal is based on the physician’s moral or religious belief."
Many doctors of faith believe it is an intrinsically evil act to kill an unborn child and a grave offence to deprive a child of a mother and a father and subject the child to the psychological and emotional damage of being parented by a homosexual couple.
However, these same doctors - who would refuse to refer women for abortions and to refer homosexual couples for fertility treatment - would, under this policy, be punished by having the ability to practice according to their beliefs severely limited.
I firmly request that the College revise this policy to specify the paramountcy of conscience and religious faith for doctors in this province.
Jason Gennaro
Did I get a response?
No